Executive Summary
What’s the Value of Accreditation?
A study of ABCs, their supervisors and their clients
Sponsored by IABC/Chicago and the L.C. Williams & Associates Research Group
This project was undertaken to identify and understand factors that are perceived by Accredited Business Communicators (ABCs), their supervisors and their clients as adding value to the accredited individuals, the organizations they serve and the communication profession.
Research was conducted in three phases in late 2007: qualitative in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with nine ABCs in the U.S. and Canada; a quantitative Web-based survey of ABCs, with 356 from seven countries participating; and Web-based surveys with 27 supervisors and 19 clients of participating ABCs.
For the survey of ABCs, the number of completions provides overall results that can be generalized to all ABCs with a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Because of low participation, the supervisor and client results are not statistically meaningful. However, perspectives on the value of accreditation were collected in this phase of the project and are included in the report, as more precise data on this topic are unavailable.
Summary of Survey Findings
Value of being an ABC. Two-thirds (67%) of the ABCs surveyed say that being an ABC is very valuable or valuable. Just 9% say it is not at all valuable or not valuable.
Personal value. More than three-fourths (79%) of ABC respondents say that being an ABC has improved or enhanced their resume. Large majorities say becoming accredited has increased their confidence (71%), increased their credibility (68%), or given them peer approval and recognition (65%).
Advanced analyses were conducted to statistically identify factors that will predict ABCs’ perceptions that accreditation is valuable. Several predictors were identified, the strongest of which is:
- ABCs who perceive that professional accreditation has increased their personal credibility are more likely to highly value being an ABC.
Value added for employer or clients. A majority of ABCs (60%) perceive accreditation as giving more credibility to their department or organization and approximately one-half (48%) of respondents indicate they receive more respect within the industry.
Value added to the advancement of the communication profession. Eight in 10 ABCs (80%) say accreditation benefits the communication profession by providing a professional global standard, and 75% say it increases the credibility of the profession.
Changes in approach to communication work. More than one-half of ABCs (53%) say that since being accredited, they ensure that evaluation, measurement and monitoring are part of their plans. Fewer respondents—approximately one in five—say they use research to develop “real” situational analysis (23%) or take an inclusive approach to work (22%). Others say they have not made any significant changes to their approach to work since being accredited (23%).
Value of communication plan components. A large majority of ABCs say that each communication plan component is valuable to their overall work. The components with the highest percentages of respondents indicating they are “very valuable” or “valuable” include: developing solutions or plans, identifying needs or opportunities and implementing the plan.
Words about the value of being an ABC. ABCs were asked to share the few words or phrases that come to mind when thinking of the value of being an ABC. Approximately one-fourth of the responses associate value with personal acknowledgement including: credibility, recognition, respect and validation. Credibility is by far the value most often mentioned.
Supervisor/client perceptions of the value accreditation adds to work products. Supervisors and clients were asked the overall value ABC accreditation adds to the person’s work products. Approximately equal percentages of supervisors and clients—close to three in 10 respondents—perceive that a great deal of value is added. Smaller percentages of each group say that almost no value is added to work products.
Supervisor/client/ABC perceptions of the value of having/using an ABC. A majority of current and former supervisors perceive ABCs giving more credibility to their department or organization while a majority of clients perceive ABCs increasing the understanding of effective communication practices. Approximately one-third of supervisor and client respondents say ABCs increase the expectations of the role of communication. Fewer supervisor and client respondents believe ABCs help to differentiate the organization with clients and vendors or enable more crisis communication preparedness.
A number of differences are seen between the perceptions of ABCs and the perceptions of their supervisors and clients. For example, there are gaps of 20 percentage points or more between supervisors’ and clients’ perceptions of ABCs knowing standards and best practices and applying new knowledge and skills (supervisors are more likely to perceive these changes). However, that 20-point gap swings the other way on the subject of the strategic communication planning process, with clients more likely than supervisors to perceive that change in the ABC.
Supervisor/client/ABC observations of changes in approach. A majority of supervisors say ABCs know the standards or best practices, while a majority of clients say they use the strategic communication planning process. Supervisors are twice as likely to believe ABCs apply new knowledge and skills to their work compared to clients, and more likely to say ABCs take an inclusive approach to work, improve the preparation for selling to management and use research to develop “real” issue situational analysis compared to clients. On the other hand, clients are more likely than supervisors to say ABCs ensure evaluation, measurement and monitoring are part of communication plans, use the strategic communication planning process, show positive outcomes/strategic value of activities, develop “smart” goals and objectives and measure outputs, outtakes and outcomes more effectively. ABCs do not share their supervisors’ and clients’ views of the changes made to their communication work since accreditation.
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